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Journal Scan: Do you need only three days to treat an uncomplicated UTI?

Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) are estimated to occur in about 14% of dogs at some point during their lives, and uncomplicated UTIs are usually treated with antimicrobials for seven to 14 days. In people, uncomplicated UTIs are often treated for just three days, and sometimes only single-dose antimicrobial protocols are used.

What they did
A prospective, multicenter, controlled, randomized, and blinded clinical trial in 68 dogs with uncomplicated UTIs compared the efficacy and safety of a high-dose, short-duration course of enrofloxacin (18 to 20 mg/kg orally once daily for three days) to 14-day treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (13.75 to 25 mg/kg orally twice daily).

What they found
The two treatment groups demonstrated similar cure rates. In the enrofloxacin group, microbiologic and clinical cure rates were 77.1% and 88.6%, respectively, and in the amoxicillin-clavulanic acid group, the rates were 81.2% and 87.9%, respectively. Adverse events were minimal and occurred at a similar rate in both groups.

Take-home message
A high-dose, short-duration enrofloxacin protocol was not inferior to a standard amoxicillin-clavulanic acid regimen and can be considered an option for treating uncomplicated UTIs in dogs. More research is warranted to evaluate whether this protocol will affect antimicrobial resistance and owner compliance.